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New Chinese coast guard rules came into force on Saturday under which it can detain foreigners for trespassing in the disputed South China Sea, where neighbors and the G7 have accused Beijing of intimidation and coercion.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring competing claims from several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, and an international ruling that its position has no legal basis.
China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters and has turned several reefs into militarized artificial islands. Chinese and Philippine ships had a series of clashes in disputed areas.
Starting Saturday, China’s coast guard can detain foreigners “suspected of violating border entry and exit management,” according to new regulations published online.
Detention is allowed for up to 60 days in “complicated cases”, they say.
“Foreign ships that illegally entered China’s territorial waters and adjacent waters may be detained.”
Manila accused the Chinese coast guard of “barbaric and inhumane behavior” against Philippine ships, and President Ferdinand Marcos said last month he called the new rules a “very worrying” escalation.
Chinese Coast Guard ships have used water cannons against Philippine boats several times in the contested waters.
There were also collisions that injured Philippine troops.
Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner told reporters on Friday that authorities in Manila were “discussing a series of measures to be taken so that we can protect our fishermen.”
Filipino fishermen have been instructed “not to be afraid, but just to carry on with their normal fishing activities in our Exclusive Economic Zone,” Brawner said.
G7 criticism
The Group of Seven bloc on Friday criticized what it called China’s “dangerous” incursions into the waterway.
“We oppose China’s militarization and coercive and intimidating activities in the South China Sea,” read a G7 statement at the end of a summit on Friday.
The South China Sea is a vital waterway, where Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have overlapping claims in some parts.
More recently, however, clashes between China and the Philippines have raised fears of a broader conflict over the sea that could involve the United States and other allies.
Trillions of dollars in maritime trade pass through the South China Sea annually, and huge untapped deposits of oil and gas are believed to lie beneath the seafloor, although estimates vary widely.
The sea is also important as a source of fish for growing populations.
China defended its new coast guard rules. A Foreign Office spokesman said last month the aim was to “better maintain order at sea”.
And the Chinese defense minister warned this month that there were “limits” to Beijing’s containment in the South China Sea.
China has also been angered in the past by warships from the US and other Western countries sailing through the South China Sea.
The U.S. Navy and others undertake such voyages to assert freedom of navigation in international waters, but Beijing considers them violations of its sovereignty.
Chinese and U.S. forces have had a series of close encounters in the South China Sea.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
